Local News

Downtown sidewalk confusion will improve

Navigating downtown on foot is a bit confusing these days, but Department of Transportation project engineer Eric Voorhees, who is managing the Front Street renovation, said it should get better soon. The sidewalk from the Campbell Drive intersection near Diamond C all the way to Episcopal Street is complete, but the area between Ramey’s to the Bay Company is closed. Voorhees said it will open again once they finish the underground work, but pathways are constantly changing.

“We’re trying to maintain access everywhere for both vehicles and pedestrians as good as we can, but it’s definitely tricky to try to get everything in and keep moving ahead. It’s a fine line for sure,” he explained. “But hopefully as we get closer to the end of the project we’ll get more finished and we won’t have as much opened up anymore. It should start to get better, but it’s definitely challenging and a bit confusing at times.”

He said the workers are trying to mark the best walking routes with signs and fences, but he encourages people to ask the crews if they are confused. Additionally, the boat yard is no longer a good short cut. Construction on the boat haul out project abuts the road project, and you can’t get through to the other side.

Voorhees said that despite the weather, they still plan to finish on September 21. The rain delays pouring the concrete but not other work. Concrete workers are pouring on all pleasant days, even during the weekend.

The road renovation project will not include any side streets. “We’re not redoing the full length of any side street,” Voorhees said. “But on all of the side streets along the corridor, essentially from the cul-de-sac along to Case Avenue, we’re extending down each side street anywhere from maybe 20 to 60 feet and tying everything in, but we’re not re-doing the length of any of them.”

For a more complete update, you can attend the biweekly project update meeting on Thursday at 10 am at City Hall.

The Wrangell Cooperative Association cut the ribbon on its cultural center and carving shed Saturday, completing the second phase of the tribe’s three-part Native cultural revival plan. The center will serve as a place for recreating eight sacred totem poles and for teaching Native arts. more

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